The 49ers are where the Raiders were three years ago – drastically undermanned, in the midst of unrelenting losing, and with Fort Knox-like money under the salary cap. Obviously, the 10-2 Raiders have made the right moves in hiring coach Jack Del Rio, drafting players like Derek Carr and Amari Cooper, and acquiring players like …

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
And who knows that better than Alex Smith?
On the day the 49ers’ quarterback secured a playoff berth for the first time in his seven-season, 66-game career, he threw deep, and he threw deep and, at long la… …

Offense
Those red-zone issues haven’t gone away – the 49ers settled for four FGs on four trips inside the 20 – but Alex Smith (career-high 142.3 rating) expertly avoided that tricky territory in the second half with long TD passes to Michael Crabtree… …

Like so many of the 49ers’ longer-tenured players, running back Frank Gore was focused only on the final score Sunday.
Gore, of course, had reason to be distracted during the early stages of a 26-0 romp over the Rams as he entered 22 yards away from be… …

With Braylon Edwards inactive because of knee and shoulder injuries Sunday, Kyle Williams received more playing time in a 26-0 win over the Rams.
It’s safe to say the 49ers’ second-year wideout made the most of his opportunity.
After a sputtering perfo… …

Frank Gore would not stop smiling. Even when he recalled using crutches to walk into his first meeting with the 49ers’ new coaching staff, he couldn’t keep a grin off his face for very long.
At the end of Sunday’s 26-0 rout of the Rams, he and two t… …

Best of the West The 49ers clinched their 18th NFC West title Sunday. A look at the previous 17:Season Record Playoff Result1970 10-3-1 Lost NFC title game1971 9-5 Lost NFC title game1972 8-5-1 Lost first round1981 13-3 Won Super Bowl1983 10-6 Lost NFC… …

Long before George Seifert agonized over losses as the 49ers’ head coach, he took them hard as a fan.
In fact, Seifert still isn’t completely over a 31-27 defeat to the Lions in the 1957 NFL Western Conference playoff game – a setback that elicits a “d… …

The football metaphors were flying out of Santa Clara on Friday night as city officials excitedly announced that they have secured long-awaited funding for a new 49ers stadium.
“The wind’s at our back, and we’re moving down the field,” Mayor Jamie Matt… …

It was just about six years ago that rookie running back Frank Gore broke down after a brutal loss in what would be a 4-12 season. Gore was in the Candlestick players parking lot watching teammates laugh and joke when the tears started to flow. Coming … …